The story of the Bible us most often told as the story of men, from patriarchs to prophets, kings, disciples and apostles. But women are there, sometimes in the background, sometimes striding powerfully onto the stage. Their stories are frequently moving, prophetic and often good news. Sometimes they experience appalling violence and abuse, which needs to be named. In some examples, their behaviour is less than appealing and power is misused – which needs acknowledgement and exploration. In this volume, Liz Shercliff, our chaplaincy programmes manager, and colleague Kate Bruce continue to explore the stories of the women of the bible, offering exegesis and comment, enabling preachers, and readers with a more general interest, to encounter and appreciate more of the female characters in scripture.

Margaret Kamitsuka, Professor of Religion at Oberlin College, Ohio, writes, “Shercliff and Bruce boldly take on stories of biblical women—from the patriarchally oppressed and abused to the feisty survivors and tricksters. They offer the reader pastoral and preaching guidance for how one might inhabit these ancient texts and find therein a way to weave one's own life stories of pain, hope, trauma, healing, and faith.”